


Nightly Visits of Splendor

by Mega_Erofan



Category: Shin Sangokumusou | Dynasty Warriors
Genre: Angst, Crack Pairing, Cuddling, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pillow Talk, Romance, Slash, Sortof, just a misunderstanding really, male kissing, shouen-ai, to me it's not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-19
Updated: 2014-07-19
Packaged: 2018-02-09 12:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1982577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mega_Erofan/pseuds/Mega_Erofan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if the hate between Cao Cao and Ma Chao was for reasons unknown to their comrades, reasons that would condem them both if they were known? What if the death of Chao's father was meant to happen for a hidden reason? What if all this conflict between the Ma and Cao family was a misunderstanding between all but two members of the conflict?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightly Visits of Splendor

**Author's Note:**

> This is absolutely a crack pairing in reference to the universe but this was honestly a random idea I decided to write. ^^
> 
> The story does take place shortly after Ma Chao is recruited by Shu and there is an established relationship between Ma Chao and Cao Cao which is why they use their style names instead of their actual names.

Ma Chao sighs under his breath as he slips into the castle, wary that the Generals and guards are in the dining hall as ordered by their lord to give him a chance to slip in unnoticed. He doesn’t like sneaking around like this but it’s better than the potential threat of being found and attacked on sight. They wouldn’t understand the circumstance. He knows the fact all too well as the same is true with his own comrades but it’s nothing they can help. He quickly makes his way to his destination, not wanting to risk one of the Generals wandering off and finding him roaming the dark halls. He reaches the set of large doors he has sought out and carefully pushes one of them open, peeking inside to see if anyone else is in the room. The large room is vacant of anyone else and delicately lit by several low hanging lanterns hung on the walls. The Shu warrior slips in then quietly closes the door behind him, allowing him to let out a breath he has been holding since he set foot inside.

“He must be addressing his men before coming to meet me.” Chao murmurs to himself, making his way across the room as he slips his helmet off, allowing his long spiky blonde hair to fall freely down his back. “Always one to play a part fully through even if it's unnecessary. He was always more show than tell when it came to his plans.” He sets his helmet on the table in the center of the room but continues to one of the large windows near the large bed, finding himself gazing at the stars as he retreats to his personal thoughts. “Why must we play this game of ours?”

He knows answer to his question is as plainly obvious as it was when the man he came to visit brought it up during their first night together at Xi Liang. It would seem suspicious and it was better to keep their relations a secret especially since the events at Tong Gate. The mere mention of the place always sends a chill through Chao but for different reasons than most realize, for reasons they can’t begin to understand. Chao could admit to himself that he was upset over his father's execution but he knew it wasn’t without reason on the other's behalf. He could never blame him for that. He was only trying to make it so they could be together finally but it didn’t help either side any as the resentment between the two families pushed a greater wedge between them and his reaction when the two first met in battle after the executions didn’t help either. He was forgiven for his actions and words that day, knowing the other cared for him deeply and had power that would never be his. He never imagined the other would be so willing to kill off the only thing standing between them, almost abusing that power in a way. No matter the goal behind his actions, it backfired in the worst way for them, making the barrier between them ever more resilient to break through.

“If only there was a way for us to be together without the cost of another man's life.”

“Things are never that simple during times of war, Mengqi.” The Ma boy is surprised by the voice and turns, flashing a sad smile as the older man across the room closes the door. “You should understand that by now as a warrior.”

“I know, Lord Cao Cao.” Chao sighs, glancing to the side as the shorter man walks up to him, still only a few inches shorter than him since their last encounter. It almost brings a smile to him thinking how such a short man could be the most fearsome leader in the land. “I'm just not as willing to accept it as you are.”

“I know you aren't and that's fine with me but we can't change the fact that our country is at war with itself nor can we ignore it.” The Wei Lord states as he grabs the Ma's shoulder, causing the taller blonde to return his gaze to him. “And I've told you before: you don't need to use my title when it's just the two of us.”

“Of course,” Chao's eyes fall to the floor but then shift as his face is gently forced to look up, meeting a pair of stern golden eyes “my apologies, Mengde.”

“That's better.” Cao chuckles as his hand slides down Chao's arm, gripping the boy's chin with his other hand as the blonde tries to look away. “What seems to be troubling you this night?”

“Nothing's troubling me.”

“Don't lie to me. I know you too well when you're lying, you never look me in the eye when you do.” Cao murmurs. “Now tell me, what's on your mind?”

“It’s too much to explain…”

Cao Cao sighs and gently leads the boy by his arm to the large bed a few feet away, dressed in purple sheets that matched the Wei Lord’s armor and cloak. He doesn’t need Chao to explain what’s wrong, he already knows what has been bothering his beloved all these weeks. They never spoke of the conflict at Xi Liang, knowing how much it would upset the Ma child to even bring it up but he also knew the two would need to discuss the tension left by that battle. He explained before that he had forgiven the other for what happened in that battle but he always felt that Chao never fully let go of his guilt. It still lingered in his heart, clinging to him like a leech, draining him slowly over time, and reducing the splendid warrior to a shell of his former self. He was watching the very man he came to love slowly die from the inside and he needed to stop it, if only to save his beloved Mengqi.

Cao carefully removes his shoulder guards and gauntlets, tossing them aside then turning to Chao, who is doing the same as he removes his own gauntlets. The boy is certainly not hard to look at in this situation or even in the heat of battle. He’s built like any true warrior of the time, solid muscles and bronzed skin with a few scars in places his armor was unable to protect yet beneath that pure muscle was something not like the mighty “Ma Chao the Splendid”. He has a tender soul and his features could easily have him mistaken as female: large eyes, slim face, and a lithe frame that fooled most into thinking him as nothing more than a messenger until they met the end of his spear. The boy was always a bit more feminine in general when compared to the Wei Lord with his broad build and more masculine features to make up for some of his lost stature but that is what lured Cao Cao to him in the first place.

It seems like only yesterday he first met Ma Teng and his sons to join them in battle, seeing Ma Chao for the first time and the two developing a begrudging friendship for the sake of Teng as they quick began to grate on each other. They tolerated each other in their time together, thinking soon the fighting would be over and they could continue their own lives as far away from each other as possible. Through some way unknown to them, they two fell in love with one another but neither was willing to admit it to the other until a night of drunken celebration brought the feelings out in Cao Cao’s war tent. Since then, the two decided to keep their love a secret from their comrades but allowed it to continue growing with pleasing results. It hurt the two when the relations between Cao Cao and Ma Teng soured, forcing them apart for a time until Cao Cao could figure out a way to reunite with his beloved. He did have a plan, a farfetched one that didn’t turn out as expected considering the outcome of it all, but it had to be done even if it earned him his lover’s hatred for a short time. All lovers have their quarrels, don’t they?

Cao Cao breaks from his train of thought as Chao begins to remove his trousers and grabs the boy’s hands to pull them away, receiving an odd look from the other.

“Not this time, Mengqi.” Cao quietly states. “There's something we need to clear up.”

“I never knew you for pillow talk, Mengde.” Chao softly scoffs. “I thought you didn't like to discuss things in bed, saying that conversations were more of a strategy room tool.”

“Things are different tonight.” He lets go of Chao's hand and climbs into the bed then turns to the blonde, holding out a hand to him. “Join me?”

Chao smiles softly and takes the hand then is gently pulled onto the bed next to Cao, finding his head resting on the warlord's chest and himself curled up against him. He didn’t mind this if he could be honest, a quiet night with no mess by the end. Sure, their romance was mostly built on drunken confessions between sloppy kisses that broke down into much more by the end of the evening but it wasn’t boring at least. The other certainly showed the Splendid Warrior appreciation unlike anyone else has before and the Lord wasn’t shy to hide the attraction he had for the young man. He would’ve felt lucky just to be able to see and talk to the other after spending so long apart but Cao gave plenty of evidence of his affection for the Ma child more than once. He was never reluctant about his desires but that’s what makes this sudden shift from a night of pleasure to one of peaceful pillow talk so strange.

“So what exactly is different about tonight that you're breaking our usual routine?”

“I've been noticing some things that I wanted to discuss with you in privacy.” Cao explains as he absentmindedly strokes the young Ma's hair. “I knew the battlefield was no such place for this or anywhere out in the open, so I decided it was best to discuss it on one of these nights where it's just the two of us.”

“Understandable, I suppose,” Chao murmurs “but what exactly are these things you're so curious about?”

“I've been noticing some changes in you, Mengqi, both in battle and during our private meetings and it's worrying me quite a bit.” Cao explains. “And before you try to tell me that “you’re fine”, I know you have changed and I know the reason behind it.” Chao glances up as the warlord curiously, noticing the man's eyes are closed as his arm wraps around him and tightly grabs his shoulder. “I know the events from Xi Liang still bother you.”

The blonde buries his face into the chest of the other. This is the last thing he wants to discuss with the other, anything else would’ve been fine but not this and he can’t simply walk away from the other to avoid speaking about it. He assumes this is the only way Cao Cao could get him to hold still long enough to speak of the issue because even if he manages to get out of Cao Cao's grasp and his room, he still has the entire castle to navigate without someone spotting him in the process. It was a miracle he made it inside and to the room without anyone seeing him lurking about, he wasn’t the stealthiest of warriors after all. He’s stuck here in the arms of his lover to discuss the last thing he wants to think about tonight.

“Why is that?” The older male's voice breaks through Chao's thoughts as he glances up at the warlord, finding those golden eyes he adores so much staring back at him with hints of concern lingering behind them. “I told you that you were forgiven for what happened that day. Why do you still hold some of the guilt from that day?”

“I...I'd rather not talk about it.” Chao murmurs as he looks away.

“Please, Mengqi,” Cao pleads, pulling the younger man against him. “The guilt you still hold is clinging to your soul like a leech, draining away the man I love and leaving behind someone I hardly recognize. I can't stand to watch you be slowly eaten alive because you can't let go of a past that should've been long forgotten.” He forces the blonde to look back at him. “Tell me why you can't forgive yourself for that day. If not for me, at least do it for yourself.” Chao tightly shuts his eyes to hold back the tears blurring his vision but finds their will to be stronger than him as they leak out in small streams. The hand on his chin slips to the back of his neck and gently pulls him against a firm chest, allowing him to hide his face and quietly cry as he loses control of his thoughts and emotions.

“Because I lost more that day than I realized.” He whimpers, tightly clinging to the warlord as he continues, fearing he’ll lose grip on reality if he lets go. “I lost the only friend I ever had after losing most of my family, I lost respect for myself and my family name, and...” He fearfully looks up at Cao, tears distorting the others face. “I hurt you far worse with my words than I ever could with my spear. I was so deeply angered by your actions that I never thought for a moment why you did what you did or a reason to forgive you until you told me your motives there on the battlefield. My father was the only thing standing between you and what you desired most.” He shamefully looks away as he drops his head against the older man's chest. “That's why I truly retreated. I couldn't stand to bring any more harm to you but I could never forgive myself for those venomous words I left you with.” He tightly curls into himself, trying to hide in the silk sheets of the bed. “I thought you’d never want to see me again after that day. I thought our days were finally over. I thought the anger we long pretended to have for one another had finally become our cruel reality.” The Ma child chokes a sob as the Wei Lord gently forces him to look back at him then plants an equally gentle kiss on his lips.

“Never in my life could I find it within me to ever hate you after all this time.” Cao quietly murmurs, guiding the blonde's head to rest against his chest as he runs his fingers through the young man's hair. “I understood you would be furious about your father's death but I also knew that you would eventually understand why I did it and forgive me. I never thought my actions would turn into something that could slowly drain the spirit from my beloved Ma.” He nuzzles into the blonde locks of the smaller male as he wraps a protective arm around the quivering form beside him. “I wish you had told me sooner.”

“I-I'm sorry.”

“Don't be,” Cao sighs into the soft wheat-colored locks “you never have to be sorry for things like this. I know you never wish to talk about the days before you joined Shu, how much they pain you some days. That's why I wanted to wait until now to speak of this. I didn't think it would be successful to be honest.”

Chao softly chuckles as he nuzzles into the chest of the warlord. “I'm glad for your efforts, else I would've taken this all with me to my grave.” He quietly yawns as he shifts to get comfortable in the arms wrapped around him. “Thank you.”

“Just rest for now, Mengqi,” Cao whispers into his ear “you'll need it for your journey home tomorrow morning.” He quietly smiles to himself as the vivid emerald eyes of the Ma child flutter shut, the other drifting to sleep as the older male slowly pulls the covers over them. He nuzzles into the fair locks of the young man then gently places a chaste kiss on his brow before trying to sleep himself, knowing his success this night wouldn’t be without reward over the next few months. All to protect the one thing he had aside from his vast kingdom and noble warriors: his dear beloved Ma Chao.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, crack pairing but in the end it makes sense. I might do more with these two so expect more crack shipping of these two in the future that isn't torture porn. ^w^ Just fluff with a side of lovey dovey goodness.


End file.
